What do a vampire hunter, a rebel, and a teenage werewolf have in common? They are all celebrating their 40th anniversary in August 2025.

The horror film Fright Night about a teenager who discovers that the next door neighbor is a vampire, the Paul Reubens classic Pee-wee’s Big Adventure about the man-child’s search for his lost bicycle, and teen mega star Michael J. Fox’s comedy Teen Wolf about an average kid who becomes a werewolf all debuted in theaters in August 1985.

Fright Night starred William Ragsdale as Charley Brewster, a horror-obsessed teenager who learns that his new neighbor Jerry Dandrige (Chris Sarandon) is a vampire. Of course, no one believes Charley when he sounds the alarm, so he seeks the help of late night horror host and former vampire hunter film actor Peter Vincent (Rody McDowall) to stop Jerry. Since Charley isn’t exactly subtle, Jerry responds by turning Charley’s girlfriend, Amy (Amanda Bearse), and his friend, Evil Ed (Stephen Geoffreys) into vampires. The scared teen puts on a brave face to battle the creature and attempt to save his friends.

The movie is directed by Tom Holland, a writer-director who penned Psycho II and would later direct Child’s Play. It was made during a time when horror movies were heavy on boogeyman and light on classic monsters. Fright Night asked a “what if” question posed by horror fans who wonder what they’d do if faced with an actual monster. Building on a solid outing in theaters that started on August 2, 1985, Fright Night became a horror favorite with a sequel that also starred Ragsdale, comic adaptation, and a remake in 2011.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure is a zany comedy in which Reubens brought his popular stage show, The Pee-wee Herman Show, to a much larger audience. The movie begins when Pee-wee’s beloved bicycle is stolen by his nemesis, Francis (Mark Holton), who then sends the bike far away when Pee-wee points the finger at him. This puts Pee-wee on a quest to find his stolen bike after a psychic (Erica Yohn) tells him it’s in the basement of the Alamo. He meets the ghostly truck driver, Large Marge (Alice Nunn), does the “Tequila” dance in a biker bar, he gets into the Warner Bros. lot, and saves animals from a burning pet shop.

Not only was the movie Pee-wee Herman’s first major foray into film and TV, it was also Tim Burton’s feature film directorial debut. Reuben’s quirky character matched perfectly with Burton’s offbeat sensibility for a unique comedy that became a cult hit. The film was released on August 9, 1985, giving both a major career boost that saw Burton go on to direct Beetlejuice and Batman (among many others), and Herman to star in Pee-wee’s Playhouse, another movie, holiday specials, and a Broadway production.

Teen Wolf is a coming of age comedy starring Fox as Scott Howard, a high school basketball player with typical teenage problems whose life takes a dramatic turn when he becomes a werewolf. At first, he tries to hide his new identity, but a stressful situation on the basketball court ignites his transformation. When the Teen Wolf proves to be a star on the court, he becomes the most popular guy in school. But, the newfound fame goes to his head, and Scott most choose between being the decent guy he was or the popular guy he always wanted to be.

Teen Wolf was a big hit when it debuted in theaters on August 23, 1985, bolstered by Fox’s popularity and the clever script that was co-written by comics writer Jeph Loeb. The movie emphasized the confusion and strangeness of puberty and the desire to be liked in a catchy way that entertained audiences of all ages. A sequel followed with fellow teen heartthrob Jason Batemen, a dramatic TV series aired from 2011 to 2017, and a film followed in 2023.